Neither Can Survive When the Other Dies
by lollymolly
Summary: Post GOF. Everything is going fine in the summer for Harry, when he learns there is a strange connection between him and Voldemort, that will ruin chances to destroy him. Please R&R! Title was changed.
1. Chapter 1

Disclaimer: I don't own of these characters, JK Rowling does.

_There were dark figures, running, shooting spells at each other. Harry couldn't move…his feet were so heavy. He was in some kind of room. It was large, with a strange arch in the middle. Beyond it was mist and darkness. There was Sirius! Harry tried to call to him. "Where are we?" His voice bounced off the stone walls and echoed back at him, empty and hollow. Suddenly, Sirius was falling…falling…through the veil of the arch. "SIRIUS!" Harry gained motion in his feet again, and ran to the arch, looking down. Sirius was going down, down, down, his mouth open in a silent scream. _

Harry sat up straight in bed, cold sweat running down his head. It was only…only a dream. What a strange dream, though. He couldn't bear to lose Sirius, not after only knowing him for a more than a year. But what if it wasn't a dream? What if it was…a premonition? Harry scoffed at the thought. He wasn't psychic…it was only a dream. He forced himself to lie back down, and think happy thoughts to help him get back to sleep.

Harry lay in his bed in Grimmauld Place, smiling sleepily. After learning about the Order of the Phoenix, he was glad they had a way to fight Voldemort. Even if they hadn't learned anything yet, at least they were trying. At least they were acknowledging the fact that it was true, Voldemort had returned. They believed him. Unlike the Ministry and most of the Wizarding world.

And he may never have to return to the Dursley's again…he could stay here, with his godfather Sirius. Harry gave a contented sigh. On the bed beside his, Ron gave a loud snore. At least someone was getting a good night's sleep.

Hermione, Ron, Ginny, Fred, and George were all here. They would all stay here, safe and sound, until the school year started. The Order had decided that would be the best course of action.

Harry was just on the brink of falling asleep when he heard the creak of the door as it opened downstairs. _Was it Sirius?_ He wondered, getting out of his bed. He was shocked as he heard Snape's voice, gasping out almost unintelligible words. He knew Snape was a spy, for their side, but what was he doing here at this hour?

Harry quietly snuck out of his room and to the staircase, where he crouched low and listened. Sirius, Tonks, and Snape were all in the foyer, whispering furiously.

"-he's attacking tonight," Snape said. "The Dark Lord…he planned a muggle attack in downtown London." He almost collapsed onto the ground from exhaustion. "I have to go now, before they notice- gather the others and come quickly."

Tonks reached out a hand in worry. "You're in no condition to fight-"

Snape impatiently shook off her hand. "There is no time. I must go."

Sirius nodded, and Snape ran out into the darkness, Apparating away. Tonks and Sirius disappeared into the kitchen from Harry's view.

Suddenly a hand clamped down on his shoulder. He jumped, but it was only Hermione. "What happened?" Her brown eyes were wide with worry.

"Voldemort!" Harry said. "He is attacking! We have to go help!"

"Harry," Hermione said, her heart racing. "We'll only get in the way- please, calm down, don't do something foolish." It was too late, as Harry was already inching his way down the stairs. He put a finger to his lips, and Hermione sighed, following him.

"Do you have your wand?" she whispered, and he nodded.

Sirius and Tonks burst past them, and Harry pulled Hermione back into the shadows. He waited until they had gone through the door, and then stumbled after them.

"Harry, what-" but he quickly shushed her.

"When they apparate, we can grab onto them, and then we will be taken with them," he hissed. "I can't just stay here, and let them fight for me, if Voldemort wants me! You stay here!"

Hermione shook her head. "If you are going, I'm coming with you, to make sure you don't do something irrational. Which you already are."

Harry ignored her, opening the door a crack. Sirius and Tonks were raising their wands- he had a split second- he ran at them, Hermione grabbing onto his shirt. Just in time, Harry touched a surprised Sirius' arm. Then the dark neighborhood dissolved around them, and the next thing he knew, they were standing amidst a gloomy alley.

"What the hell do you think you are doing!" Sirius hissed at Harry. "This is dangerous! Tonks, please apparate them back!"

Suddenly they heard loud yells and screams, as the death eaters came closer.

Sirius ran to the street, looking back at them. "Dumbledore should be here now! Tonks, take care of them!"

Before Tonks could react, Harry started racing after him. "Wait!" He yelled. What if his dream wasn't only a dream? What if it happened-tonight? "Sirius!"

"Harry!" Tonks cried, heart beating. What could she do? She couldn't just leave Hermione here…but she promised to take Harry back. Hermione spared her that decision.

"Harry!" Hermione screamed. "Stop!" And she too went chasing after them.

"This is ridiculous," Tonks muttered angrily. "Come back here, you two!"

Harry caught up to Sirius as he rounded the corner and grabbed his arm. His godfather looked back at him fiercely. "Go back, Harry! It's too dangerous!"

A spell came their way, and Sirius pulled Harry down to the ground just in time.

"I'm not leaving you," Harry said firmly, determined not to let his dream come true.

"Do I have to stun you?" Sirius hissed. "The Dark Lord might even be here. This is a major attack, Harry. An attack announcing his return." He aimed a spell at a random Death Eater appearing in his line of vision, and the figure collapsed. "Now leave with Tonks! I'll be back as soon as possible!"

Harry pretended to head back, as he watched Sirius run and join two people that looked like Lupin and Kingsley, in the midst of the battle. But he wasn't going to leave. Not when his godfather was in danger.

"What are you doing?" Hermione ran into him, Tonks behind her.

Tonks took a quick calculating glance at the scene. "Go back there and hide in the alley," she decided. "Arm yourselves with your wands. They might need my help." She sprang into action, disappearing into the fog.

As soon as she was gone, Harry started to run after her. Hermione tugged at his arm. "Didn't you hear Tonks? We have to hide! I don't want you to get hurt. And we might get in the way…"

Reluctantly, Harry allowed himself to be pulled back. He didn't want to be a burden. "Ok, but as soon as we see trouble, I'm going in there to help. " _It was just a dream_, he told himself. _Do you want someone else to die just to save you?_

Hermione led him up the alley, relieved that he hadn't protested too much. "We can just stay here," she said as they reached a dead end. "Have your wand ready."

"What for?" Harry asked, annoyed. "It's not like we're in danger anymore."

"Famous last words," a frightening, yet familiar voice cackled from behind them.

AN: Yes, I know, the ending is a cheesy, but it will get better! Please review! I need comments, concerns, suggestions, insults- ok, maybe not insults, but just about everything else! Please review, it is my fuel to write!


	2. Chapter 2

The tall, robed figure with glowing red eyes seemingly emerged from the mist, wand pointed threateningly at the pair. He had a twisted grin upon his face, and his eyes had a greedy glint. "At last…"

Hermione gasped, clutching Harry's sleeve. "You! Leave Harry alone!"

Voldemort chuckled, shaking his head. "Remember the last mudblood who tried to save you, Potter?" Harry stared defiantly back at him, though his scar was stinging so badly he could barely stand. "Don't call her that!"

He ignored him. "The pretty thing…I would have let her go…if she hadn't gotten in my way. Oh! Take me please! Spare Harry!" Voldemort sang in a high, mocking voice.

Harry's whole body stiffened and his green eyes shone with rage. "You- you are filth! You hide away while you let your Death Eaters do the work! At least my mother was brave enough to die for me!"

Voldemort's smile had disappeared. "Brave, brave words for someone who is about to die. However, I won't kill you yet. That would be much too unsatisfying. I like to have a little fun first with my victims." His voice dripped with hatred, and he raised his wand, eyes gleaming madly, and before Harry had a chance to react, he shouted, "_Crucio!"_

The waves of pain that followed made Harry want to scream out, but he bit his lip and squeezed his eyes tightly. He would not give Voldemort the joy of seeing him shriek out in pain and beg. His whole inside felt like it was on fire, being torn apart, stabbed by razor sharp knives. Heat so intense it turned to icy bitterness filled his head. The boy slowly sank to the ground, vaguely hearing Hermione's high-pitched scream of his name, as she stood frozen to the ground. Opening his eyes slightly, he noticed something strange. Voldemort, even as he was casting the curse, seemed to be doubling over in agony.

"What is happening?" Voldemort yelled, finally lifting the curse, panting heavily himself, beads of sweat rolling down his forehead. "_CRUCIO!" _he tried again viciously, jabbing his wand toward the fallen boy.

Vomiting, but still not uttering a sound, Harry bore the torture silently. It was lifted rather quickly, however, as Voldemort was shaking so badly he had dropped his wand, before swooping down to retrieve it. A trickle of blood dripped down the Dark Lord's pale chin, which he wiped away systematically.

Hermione rushed to Harry, as Voldemort confusedly paced back and forth, apparently deep in thought. "I don't understand this…" the Dark Lord muttered. "How is this possible?" He cursed to himself, hands gripping his wand so tightly that his bloodless hands seemed to turn even whiter, if possible.

"Oh Harry!" Hermione hugged him protectively, shooting furtive glances at the muttering figure.

Helped by Hermione, Harry staggered upwards. "What happened?" Harry asked, bewildered, dizzily leaning upon his friend.

"It doesn't matter!" Hermione whispered hastily, preparing to run and drag Harry with her.. "Let's get out of here-"

"Not so fast," Voldemort had turned his attention back onto them. "You both are coming with me!" His spindly fingers grabbed onto Harry's shoulder vindictively, causing his scar to sear with pain again.

Suddenly, a powerful jet of light hit Voldemort from the side. It was Sirius, standing at the top of a building, like a hero in an action movie. "Get your hands off my godson, you monster!"

The spell caused Voldemort to twist in anguish, as blood splattered from his face onto his robes. "ARRGHHHH!" He screamed.

"STOP! STOP!" Hermione cried, waving at Sirius with one hand and gesturing to Harry with the other. For some reason, Harry was back on the ground, blood spilling from his mouth, writhing in pain in the same manner as Voldemort. His hands clutched his face, trying to stop the flow of scarlet.

Confused, Sirius stopped, his mouth open in surprise. Members of the Order came running, wands out, and Voldemort glared at the Sirius.

"You chose the weak side," he laughed harshly. "Ah, Black…what you could have become…don't worry, you will get what you deserve one day." With a swipe of his wand, Voldemort removed all the blood and stains from his robe. Then he disapparated, spells bouncing off the brick wall behind where he was standing.

Sirius clambered down from the building, tripping in his haste before kneeling down next to Harry. "What did I do?" He cried, horrified, wiping some blood from the boy's mouth.

"You didn't do anything wrong…you saved us," Harry's vision was clouding. He saw the wispy white that might have been Dumbledore's beard over him before he blacked out completely.


	3. Chapter 3

"Harry? Harry!" Someone was calling his name. The voice sounded distant, echoing in his head. Harry opened his eyes groggily, blinking at the bright rays of the morning sun. He was back in his bed.

"Professor!" Hermione called. "He woke up!"

Slowly, memories of last night came to his mind. "Hermione?" he croaked. "Are you alright?" Blurry figures surrounded him, and he concentrated hard to make them clear, but they just swam and wavered in his line of vision.

"Harry?" A voice that sounded like Dumbledore.

"Professor?" Harry tried to sit up, tried to see what was going on.

"Take it easy," it was Sirius' voice, and Harry felt his hands gently easing him back into bed.

"What happened? Last night, I mean?" Harry asked, confused.

Dumbledore looked around the room. "I think I might need a moment alone with Harry-Sirius, you can stay."

They rose dejectedly, and filed them out of the room. "Hope you feel better," Ron mumbled.

Professor Dumbledore waited until the door closed with a soft click, and then turned to Harry. "I need you to tell me exactly what you felt last night."

Sirius grabbed Harry's hand reassuringly, as he started to speak. "It-it was my fault," he said softly. "Sirius told me to stay…I just couldn't…"

Dumbledore merely nodded for Harry to continue.

"Me and Hermione…we hid in the alley, after Tonks told us to. Then…Voldemort came. He cursed me, but then he stopped."

"Why did he stop?" Sirius inquired.

"It was strange," Harry mused. "It seemed to hurt him- almost as much as it hurt me."

Dumbledore frowned. "Most curious."

"He tried again, but the same thing happened…then Sirius shot a spell at him, but I felt it, even though it hit Voldemort."

Sirius looked up at the Professor. "What does this mean?"

"I am pretty sure- not positive, but pretty sure that there is a special bond between you and Voldemort."

"We already know this-" Sirius interrupted impatiently.

"But-" the headmaster held up a hand as he continued. "This bond is now stronger than ever now that Voldemort is back in his body, and has your blood. My theory is that this connection has grown so strong…that you can feel his pain, and vice versa."

"What?" Harry asked. "So if I get a paper-cut, he would feel that?"

"No…not that kind of pain. Only pain inflicted through magic would travel through the connection, and all the effects of that particular spell would happen to the other person, too."

Looking over at his godfather, he saw that Sirius had his face in his hands. Puzzled, he asked, "What's so bad about that? It means Voldemort can't hurt me, right? And none of his Death Eaters can either!"

"You don't understand, Harry," Dumbledore said gently. "If the Dark Lord should ever be killed, or die, then…you would, too."

Harry went pale. "And…if I killed him…I would die?"

Dumbledore nodded, his normally vibrant blue eyes clouded in what seemed to be tears.

"Don't worry Harry…I'm sure there is a loophole somewhere…"

Sirius lifted his head and Harry saw streaks of tears down his cheeks. "If anyone tries to hurt Voldemort, they will hurt Harry too! What can we do?" He looked at Dumbledore pleadingly. "We can't just let Voldemort destroy everything, but we can't hurt him either!"

Harry felt dizzy from this information.

"We can't let the Ministry get word of this," Dumbledore warned. "They would try to kill Harry in order to get rid of Voldemort."

"If they tried to do anything, I- I would," Sirius shook with anger. Dumbledore placed a comforting hand on his shoulder, which he shook off abruptly.

"Don't try to calm me down!" He shouted furiously. "This is my godson, and everyone in the wizarding world is just using him as a pawn!" Breathing heavily, he put his hands back over his face to cover his tears.

Harry thought it was quite ironic that he himself was not outraged by this news. He felt too shocked to think about the details at the moment.

"I won't tell anybody," Harry said quietly. "If that helps."

"Wouldn't it be wise to tell your friends? They deserve to know," Dumbledore said.

"I don't want them to know," Harry murmured. "They would worry too much."

"It is your choice," Dumbledore got up. "I will leave you two alone now. Please, if you have any questions or concerns, Harry, don't be afraid to ask."

As he left, Harry glanced cautiously at Sirius. His face was hidden, but his shoulders were shaking visibly.

"It's ok," Harry cringed at the sight of his godfather crying. "It'll be all right…"

Sirius wiped at his face with his hands and laughed humorlessly. "I should be the one comforting you. How useless I am. I have to stay in this bloody place, or the Ministry will lock me up in Azkaban."

Harry remembered his dream. "Just don't do anything rash, please?"

Sirius just kept shaking his head. "You'd better keep your eyes out for danger, Harry. Dumbledore is right…there should be a way out of this…what I am doing? I shouldn't get you all worked up. You have to recover after your ordeal. Rest, now."

Despite Harry's protesting, Sirius forced him to swallow a Sleep Potion, and he once again felt himself drifting off into unconsciousness.


	4. Chapter 4

AN: Thanks TenniStar514, for being my devoted (and only) reviewer! I really appreciate it!

Disclaimer: I don't own any of these characters.

Harry opened his eyes. He was still lying on his bed, but instead of bright sunshine streaming through his window, there was now a silvery moonlight. Shadows seemed to dance along the walls. He looked out the window, shivering for some reason.

Then he remembered what had happened, and what Dumbledore had said. He was still so confused! Thoughts and worried flooded his mind. What would they do now? Would they let Voldemort destroy the world? Would they kill him?

His stomach growled, as he had not eaten anything since the previous day. Harry decided to go downstairs to see if there were any leftovers from dinner.

Quietly walking down the stairs and through the hallway, he noticed a small sliver of light through the crack of the kitchen door, and a murmur of voices. Straining to hear, he could make out Dumbledore's voice. So he was still there! Harry wanted to talk more. He hesitated in front of the door. What if they were talking about something important? He didn't want to interrupt. He had decided to come back later, then he heard his name mentioned.

"How can we protect Harry, Professor?" It was Sirius. Harry peered through the crack. His godfather looked dead tired. His eyes were bloodshot, with huge dark circles hanging underneath, and his hair was matted andunwashed. Yet,sitting across from Dumbldore, his voice was still determined and pressing.

"The best we can do right now is to not say anything," the headmaster replied. "We can't let this leak through to the ministry. Who knows what they would do to get rid of Voldemort."

"Right." Sirius was silent for a few moments. "But…now Voldemort won't hurt him, right? And his Death Eaters won't either? But what about physical harm? You said spells and magic-"

"It's a very complicated matter," The headmaster sighed. "You see- imagine right now a bond- such as a beam of light- connecting Voldemort and Harry. Magic spells can travel through the light, so if it hits one of them, it can effect the other end. Physical harm, however, cannot travel between them."

"So Voldemort can still kill Harry with physical means?"

"No. Even though physical harm cannot travel through the bond, death from whatever cause will. You see, if one of them were to disappear from their end, there would be an empty spot. The other person's soul would split into two to complete the bond, thus killing them."

"Do you think the Dark Lord knows this?" Sirius inquired.

"I'm sure if he doesn't already, he will soon. He is a very powerful wizard, Sirius," Dumbledore said. "That explains why Harry felt the effects of the spell more than Voldemort. Voldemort is so powerful, he has a number of defenses builtwithin him to resist spells. Your spell must have been quite powerful and determinedto penetrate them."

"Then it must have hurt Harry even more," Sirius said softly, head down. "I hope he is still not in pain."

Dumbledore, though still looking at Sirius, said quietly, "Harry, you can come in now."

Harry stood at the door, shocked. _How could he have known? Well, he is Dumbledore._ He slowly opened the door and trod in. "I'm sorry- I was going to-"

Dumbledore nodded in understanding, then gestured towards Sirius, who still had his head down in shame. "Ah hem…I'll be right back," the old man winked at Harry as he left the room.

Harry patted his godfather awkwardly on the back. "I already told you, it's fine! You didn't know what would happen, Sirius! You were only trying to protect me! Besides, I'm fine now! It doesn't even hurt anymore!"

Sirius raised his head wearily. "You are supposed to still be in bed."

Harry sighed impatiently. "I feel fine, now-"

"You have to promise me you will be careful at Hogwarts," Sirius suddenly grabbed Harry into a big hug. "Promise me-"

Harry remembered that they would leave for Hogwarts in three days. "I promise…you have to promise too, Sirius…" his voice was muffled by the thick sweater.

Sirius looked up, surprised. "Promise what?"

_That dream…it was so vivid…so real_. "Promise that you will be careful too! And you won't put yourself in danger."

Sirius laughed, shaking his head. "Always worried about others…you remind me so much of James sometimes!" Then his expression grew solemn. "I can't promise that, Harry…I'll do whatever it takes to keep you safe."

The boy sniffled, and his godfather held him tighter in a fatherly embrace. "Don't worry…I'll always be there for you…that I can promise…"

Little did they know someone else was watching this touching scene. Two beady red eyes narrowed at the exchange, and then scampered from behind the chair to the hole in the wall, knowing his master would love to hear the information he now knew.


	5. Chapter 5

AN: Um...anyone else besides Jessi that feels like reviewing?

Disclaimer: I don't own any of these characters.

Peter Pettigrew squirmed under the steady gaze of his master. "That's what I have learned…"

Voldemort felt disgusted as he looked at the dirty, fidgeting man before him. "And you think I have not known this already, Wormtail?" He ran his pale white fingers smoothly along his wand.

Pettigrew flinched. "But after hiding in the boy's coat pocket, I now know the location of the Order, master!"

The Dark Lord gave a flick of his wand, and the man slammed down to the ground, sobbing. "Please…"

"The Noble and Most Ancient House of Black," Voldemort sneered. "What does it matter if we know where it is? They can move out in a flash! Besides, the boy will be in Hogwarts now."

Pettigrew relaxed as his master placed his wand back at his side. "How will you defeat him, if…?" He asked timidly.

The Dark Lord laughed. "Now that he is no longer a threat to me, there is hardly any need to dispose of him, is there?"

"Yes, indeed," Pettigrew agreed hastily.

"Of course," Voldemort's grin turned malicious. "That doesn't mean we can't have a little fun with him. You said you heard Dumbledore mention that physical pain does not pass through the bond?"

Pettigrew bobbed his head up and down rapidly. "Yes, that is what he said-"

"Perfect." Voldemort rubbed his hands together in anticipation. "For all the trouble that he has caused me, Potter," he spat out the name, "is deserves what he is going to get."

Pettigrew shied away from the maniacal glint in his master's eyes.

"But…I wonder…how to reach the boy while he is in Hogwarts…" Voldemort mumbled to himself, sinking into a large armchair. A huge snake slithered out from underneath, making Pettigrew step back.

"Dear Nagini," Voldemort murmured, his lips curling up slightly at his servant's fright. "Oh, don't worry Wormtail…Nagini won't hurt you…at least not tonight…"

The snake was hissing. Parse tongue, Pettigrew guessed. It unnerved him to see his master and the snake speaking to each other. He felt awkward, as if he was not supposed to hear this conversation. Shifting his weight from one foot to another, he waited for the pair to finish.

After a few moments, the large snake slithered back underneath the armchair, and Voldemort turned back to Pettigrew, who promptly flinched. "Yes, m'Lord?"

Voldemort's smile grew wider. "Nagini had some good news for me."

Pettigrew forced a smile in return. "T-terrific, Master…" he stuttered.

"Yes." The Dark Lord leaned contently back in his armchair. "One of my faithful servants- Lucius, to be exact- has a house elf at his disposal. This particular house elf has access to Hogwarts, and Lucius has graciously allowed me control of her."

Pettigrew giggled at the idea. "Does that mean that you can get to Harry Potter now?"

The Dark Lord ignored him. Instead, he clapped his hands loudly.

A terrified creature appeared in front of him, trembling with fear and trepidation.

"S-S-Stumpy at y-your service," the house elf shrank under the Dark Lord's gaze, similar to Pettigrew.

"What a pathetic being," Voldemort smiled. "I'll just have you know that the second you disobey my command, you will be punish severely. Wormtail can testify to that."

"Yes, m-m-master," the house elf kept her fearful eyes trained at the ground.

"Stop your stuttering, you dim-witted thing!" Voldemort snapped.

The house elf rapidly stuffed her fist into its mouth.

"Now, you know your commands," Voldemort drawled, loving the control he had over the helpless creature.

Stumpy nodded her head speedily, fist still in her mouth.

"Then what are you waiting for? Get going!" He suddenly roared. His voice reverberated in the silent room.

Stumpy gave a stifled sob, and then disappeared. Pettigrew flinched again as the Dark Lord looked over to him.

Voldemort smiled cruelly. "It is amusing to scare them like that," he smirked.

"Ha-ha, it was so funny," Pettigrew quickly said, forcing out a high-pitched giggle.

Voldemort glared at him. "Silence, you insolent fool!"

Pettigrew snapped his mouth shut. He never knew what his master wanted; he would never please his master.

The Dark Lord stared at him impatiently. "You will only talk when it is my desire that you do! I cannot stand you gibbering away like an idiot. Now leave! I have important business to attend to."

Pettigrew scurried away, before he did something else upsetting to his master. At times being the servant of the Dark Lord was torture, but it was nothing like what that boy would go through when the Dark Lord got to him. Yes, Pettigrew thought fervently as he rushed down the hallway, he was sure glad he wasn't Harry Potter.


	6. Chapter 6

Disclaimer: I don't own these characters.

"Potter!" Snape's voice cut through his conversation. "Will you stop talking incessantly and work on your potion?"

Harry sighed and mouthed to Ron, "Talk to you later."

Life at Hogwarts was the same as always. Busy schedules, loads of homework, sneering Slytherins, and tons of Quidditch practice. Now that he was the team Captain, he was practicing more than ever, but Harry didn't mind. Quidditch might have been the best thing to ever happen to him. He was doing something every spare second; he had almost forgotten the encounter with Voldemort in the summer.

Harry still couldn't get into his mind that Snape was actually on their side, the good side. He was the same snappish, sneering teacher that constantly kept them on their toes. Snape seemed to be picking on him more than ever.

"Potter! Look what you did!" Harry blinked. His potion, which he had been absent-mindedly stirring, was turning a volatile red. It started to smoke, and Harry backed away.

"You idiot!" The Potions Master took out his wand, waved it over the cauldron, and the liquid seemed to settle. "Can't you read? It says to stir twice counterclockwise!"

"Yes," Harry said clenching his teeth. "Yes, _sir_, I can read."

Snape glared at him. "Well, maybe you can read with your eyes, but you obviously can't comprehend with your brain!"

"Maybe you can stop nagging at me," Harry said under his breath.

"What did you say?" His dark eyes gleamed dangerously.

Suddenly a low growl emitted from the doorway. A large shaggy black dog bared its teeth at Snape.

"Sir-" Ron called in surprise, as Hermione nudged him sharply in the ribs.

"What are _you_ doing here," Snape snarled at the animal. It merely barked back at him. Hanging from Sirius' mouth was a small piece of paper. The dog padded over to Harry and laid the note in front of him.

Harry carefully unfolded it, careful not to touch the dog drool.

_Harry,_

_Please meet me in my office as soon as you receive this note. _

_Professor Dumbledore_

Why would Dumbledore want to meet him now? Maybe he had discovered something important. Harry looked up only to notice the entire class peering curiously at him.

"Back to work! All of you!" Snape yelled. "And what is that note, Potter?"

"Um…I have to go see Professor Dumbledore now…" Harry mumbled.

"Fine then," Snape snapped. "But don't think you are excused from homework."

Harry ignored him as he left the dungeon with Sirius at his side.

His godfather waited until they were safe and secure in Dumbledore's office before changing back into his human form.

"Why are you here, Sirius? What if someone recognizes you?" Harry asked worriedly. His mind once again flashed back to his dream.

"Don't worry," Sirius replied. "Nobody but you guys know I'm an Animagus. Professor Dumbledore told me to come here…I think he got something important to say to us."

Just then the Headmaster entered the room. "Good afternoon, Harry, Sirius. Have a seat!" The old man sighed as he slipped into his comfortable armchair. "Lemon drop?"

They shook their heads as they sat down on the chairs that suddenly appeared behind them. Harry fidgeted impatiently, waiting for Dumbledore to speak.

The Headmaster peered at them over his spectacles. "Remember, over the summer, when I told you I would try my best to find a way out of this?"

Harry nodded glumly. He did not want to think about it, not when life seemed normal again.

"Did you find a way?" Sirius asked. "Is Harry safe now?" His eyes glanced anxiously at his godson.

"I think I might have found one solution," Dumbledore said slowly. "But it isn't perfect. There will have to be great sacrifices on Harry's part."

"What kind of sacrifices, exactly?"

"Patience, Sirius. I will get to that at the end. First of all, Harry's connection with Voldemort is bonded by magic, as you know. All magic will travel through the bond. However…we could end the bond without either of them dying. The only way that I know of right now is to remove all of Harry's magic-"

"What?" Harry interrupted. "Then- then I'll be like a Squib!"

"We can't do that!" Sirius said firmly. "That would be a disgrace! Is it even possible?"

"Ah hem," The headmaster cleared his throat, indicating his was not done speaking. "If we did remove Harry's magic, then the bond would be gone, and Voldemort could safely be killed…"

"And Voldemort and his Death Eaters would try to hurt Harry again!" Sirius said adamantly.

"Please stop and listen. I never said we would use this course of action," Dumbledore replied. "Removing all magical traces from a witch or wizard is extremely difficult, and extremely dangerous, physically and mentally. It would most likely lead to almost all the mind and soul drawn out…which would make it hard for the person to lead a normal life."

"You mean mentally retarded. Crazy." Sirius stated flatly.

Dumbledore fell silent. "Yes…that is another way of putting it, as it would be hard for the person to care for themselves."

They both glanced at Harry, who had been silent throughout the last part of their exchange.

His eyes were blazing with an emerald fire. "Frankly, I'd rather be dead."

"Harry-" Sirius and Dumbledore both said softly.

The boy got up abruptly, knocking over his chair. "If you'll excuse me, I think I have Quidditch practice now." Stiffly, he strode out of the room, and slammed the door.

AN: Must I remind you to review? Must I beg? PLEEEEEAAAASSEE? If I will spend hours writing stories, and beg on my knees, can't you spend 10 seconds of your time leaving a review? It doesn't have to be complex or anything, just your opinion. And I know people are reading this, I can check on my stats page. And if I find out you have read but not reviewed, I will hunt you down and strangle you!

In case you didn't know, I was joking. But I still want reviews please! I will thank you personally! Thank you Jessi and Becki for being my sole reviewers! YAY! You are my best friends!


	7. Chapter 7

Disclaimer: I don't own any of these characters.

Harry sat at the Gryffindor table, picking at his already cold breakfast. In front of him was a copy of the Daily Prophet.

_ANOTHER MUGGLE ATTACK!_

The headline proclaimed. The news gave Harry a queasy feeling in his stomach every time he glanced at it. He tried to ignore it, tried to distract himself. They were going to Hogsmeade today…he was going to have fun, Harry decided.

Hermione looked over at the tired boy. "Is everything ok, Harry?" He hadn't been himself lately. Actually…he had been acting strange ever since the year started. Something was wrong, and yet he was too stubborn to admit it. That was Harry, all right.

"I'm fine…" Harry mumbled. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw Hermione and Ron exchange skeptical looks.

"You haven't been sleeping well," Ron said. "I've seen you get up at in the middle of thenight."

Hermione spoke carefully. "You haven't been eating much, either. You're really starting to worry us…"

Harry gave them a fake smile. "I'm really ok. It's just that there's been so many attacks and stuff."

"Oh Harry," Hermione said. "It's not like it's your fault…there's really nothing you can do about it. I know Dumbledore's doing everything he possibly can."

Harry's stomach turned again. Little did they know.

Ron got up, belching. "It's ok, mate." He slapped Harry on the back comfortingly. "Don't get yourself all worried."

Hermione glared at him.

"What?" He asked innocently, belching again. "That felt good…well, I'll meet you guys here when we leave for Hogsmeade." He walked off.

Hermione sighed loudly. Then she turned back to Harry. "Really Harry…don't be so hard on yourself. You can't do anything about it…just try to be hopeful." She glanced at his plate. "And you'd better start eating and sleeping better or you'll end up in the hospital wing."

"I know," Harry said, and thrust a largepiece of toast in his mouth,just to satisfy her.

"Good…now I'm going to the library to see if I can get some work done before class. See you in a few hours!" Hermione said cheerfully, before disappearing into crowd.

Harry stared hard at his congealing food. The sight of it made him feel nauseous. He pushed it away, and stood up. Stuffing the newspaper in his pocket, he walked off to class.

The chilly wind whipped around the students as they entered the town of Hogsmeade.

Harry, Ron, and Hermione rushed towards the Three Broomsticks, entering the warmth of the cozy little place.

They got a table near the window andsipped at their butterbeer, chatting contentedly.

Harry noticed a familiar figure walking in. "Is that Fudge?" He whispered.

The Minister of Magic took a seat at a large table in the backwith other members of the Ministry.

"What are they doing here?" Ron wondered.

Hermione snorted. "They are regular people, Ron. Regular peopledo like to have some time off once in a while. You know? For fun? Something you have way too much of?"

"Hey-" Ron scowled.

"I wonder if they finally believe Voldemort is back," Harry wondered out loud, not wanting to have his friends get into another argument.

Hermione craned her neck toward the large group. "Hmmm…I do believe they are talking about it right this instant…" All three strained to hear.

"Poor things…" One woman was shaking her head sadly. "They never had a chance, did they?"

Another man laughed harshly. "The muggles think it was a 'terrorist attack.' Of course… the only thing the ones still living saw was a huge blast."

Fudge nodded solemnly. "A few of our Aurors were killed too."

Harry began to feel sick again, but Hermione and Ron were too concentrated on listening to notice him.

"I think the casualties were at least in the hundreds. Many of them were children," the woman whispered.

"How exactly is He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named to be stopped, Fudge?" An old man spoke up. "We can't let this continue happening!"

Fudge looked uncomfortable. "Well, for one thing…I am sure that Dumbledore knows the answer. He has always been hiding things from me. I don't believe he trusts me."

"If anyone knows, it's Dumbledore," the woman chirped.

Fudge grimaced. "I bet it has something to do with that Harry Potter, and Dumbledore's trying to protect him. There is just something strange about that boy…I wonder what exactly happened last summer..."

Hermione and Ron exchanged outraged looks. "Harry, don't listen-" Hermione turned to the boy. But there was only an empty seat.

Harry ran out into the cold, gasping and shaking. What was he going to do? Where was he running? He didn't know, but he kept going and going, one foot in front of the other, the cold wind slicing through him mercilessly as he barreled down the empty road.

It was all his fault, wasn't it? With each step he took, he felt worse and worse. How selfish was he? All these people were dying-

He slowed down to a halt, drawing ragged breaths. He couldn't allow Voldemort to cause any more pain, any more evil…

A hand suddenly grasped his shoulder, and Harry whirled around, pulling out his wand. The bushy hairin his viewalerted him that it was only Hermione. Harry sagged downwards, suddenly drained of all energy.

"It's ok," Hermione said softly to her exhausted friend. Behind her Ron was scrambling to catch up. "What happened?"

Harry closed his eyes, shivering from the cold.

"Come on," Hermione said. "Let's go someplace warmer."

"No!" Harry said. "I have to tell you guys something…"

Ron grasped Harry's arm. "We can talk while we walk," he said, gently steering them towards Hogsmeade.

Harry shuddered, then took a deep breath and told them everything as they slowly walked. He told them about everything Dumbledore said, and the things he had overheard between Dumbledore and Sirius. "So, it's my fault."

His two friends were in shock. Finally, Ron said awkwardly, "At…at least Voldemort won't try to hurt you anymore…I guess…"

Hermione's face was full of concern. "Oh Harry! It's not your fault! Promise me you won't do anything rash!" Suddenly she whirled around, looking at the Three Broomsticks. The minister and his people were still in there, apparently drunk. "You have to be careful what you say, and where you say it. If the ministry knew about this-"

"I know, Hermione-"

"Promise me!" The girl hugged him tightly.

"Hermione," Ron noticed how uncomfortable Harry looked. "Stop strangling him."

She ignored him. "Harry?"

The boy sighed. "Ok, I promise not to do anything without thinking about it thoroughly."

Hermione pursed her lips, clearly not satisfied with his answer, but gave up. "Fine. Let's go into in somewhere before we freeze."

The trio headed toward the numerous shops, unaware that close to where they had been talking, something moved in the shadows. A tiny beetle rubbed its legs together greedily.

AN: Thank you Becki and Jessi for reviewing! I love you guys! Now does anyone else feel like leaving a comment besides them? Please? Anyone have any good ideas for the plot?


	8. Chapter 8

Disclaimer: I don't own these characters.

Harry woke up suddenly. The sun was shining brightly, bathing the whole room with light. What time was it? He looked around. Everyone else was already up, and gone. Harry groaned. He'd better get up right away before he was late for classes.

He hurried down the hallways. Passing by a small group of people, he saw that they were all staring at him curiously. He continued forward, bewildered. He was used to being stared at, but he would have thought after more than four years at Hogwarts they would stop. More people were looking now, as he walked by, and pointing. Whispering, too.

Harry stared determinately forward, feeling his face grow red. What was wrong? Did he forget something? Was there something on his face? He had rushed in the morning- he slowly reached his hands down- yes…he did have on his trousers. Blinking confusedly, he decided to ignore the added attention, and sped up his walk to the breakfast.

Draco Malfoy was sneering at him as he entered. "Just _had_ to let the whole world know, didn't you Potter?" the blonde smirked. "Not the smartest move."

"What _are_ you talking about?" Harry spat at him.

"Don't act like you don't know," the Slytherin narrowed his eyes. "Famous Potter, just has to grab all the attention-"

Harry clenched his hand, gripping his wand, and then decided Malfoy wasn't worth the time. He spun around and walked off.

"I'm not finished-" he heard Malfoy snarl in the distance, but he ignored him. Then he noticed that all the students eating breakfast had been starting at him.

On his last nerve, Harry glared at all of them. "WHAT?" They all hurriedly turned back to their breakfast, chatting like nothing had happened.

Harry sighed and walked over to where Hermione, Ron, and Ginny were finishing breakfast. "Hey, guys…"

"Hi, Harry," Ron said nervously, while Ginny and Hermione gave him unconvincing smiles.

"Why was everyone staring at me? And what was Malfoy talking about?" Harry demanded. He knew where the truth was when Hermione quickly tried to stuff her newspaper in her robe.

"Hand it over, Hermione," he said firmly. "I'll find out anyways."

"Ok," she sighed, "But you're not going to like it." She reluctantly handed him the paper.

Harry snatched it from her hand, aware of everyone at the table looking at him nervously.

_HARRY POTTER IS KEY TO DEFEATING VOLDEMORT_

The headline screamed. Harry gasped, looking over at Ron and Hermione. "You-?"

"I swear, Harry, I would never tell anyone!" Ron said indignantly. "Don't you know that?"

Hermione had the same look on her face. "We would never do that to you!"

Silently, Harry turned back to the paper, scanning the article. Snatches of words jumped out at him…_magical bond between He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named and the Boy Who Lived…Dumbledore's secrets…stop muggle attacks…_there was no author mentioned.

The information about him and Voldemort was the exact same thing he had told Ron and Hermione. Harry frowned. He believed them, though. Maybe they were put under the Imperius Curse, and then had the memory removed? But by who?

He took a deep breath. That didn't matter right now. The thing that mattered was that everyone knew…just what Dumbledore had warned him against.

"Harry?" Ginny asked in a small voice. "Are you okay?"

"You should go talk to Dumbledore," Hermione insisted. "Right now."

"Yeah, mate," Ron agreed. "He'll know what to do."

Before Harry could answer, voices came from behind him.

"Harry!" It was Fred and George.

"Is this true?" George demanded, waving the paper in his face.

"Guys…" Harry felt overwhelmed by all his friends.

"Because if it's not, we'll go find whoever pulled this sick joke," Fred interrupted. "We can't have people spreading rumors about you! It's disgusting!"

"Harry!" Neville stumbled over to their table. "I just read the paper-"

"STOP!" Harry held up both hands. He startled himself with how loud he had yelled, and how shocked everyone else looked. "I'm sorry," he mumbled, trying to get out of the little circle they had unintentionally formed around him. "I just have to go…"

They all backed off, looking unsure, as he rushed from the table.

"Harry-?" Ron started after him, but Hermione grabbed his shoulder, giving him a knowing look.

Harry heard Ron calling after him. He felt horrible about leaving his friends when they were so concerned, but he had to be alone for a little while, to think things through. Like what this would mean for him, and his future.

He was halfway up the stairs to the Common Room when he felt a sudden pain in his scar. It escalated quickly, blinding him, and he leaned against the wall, breathing heavily. Harry clutched his forehead, shaking, feeling sick. The agony was overwhelming…he couldn't move. He couldn't explain why, but he knew why Voldemort was doing this. Such a strong feeling was getting through to him. Voldemort had found out about the article. Now he was angry and afraid that the Ministry would kill Harry, therefore killing him.

The throbbing and pain reached a crescendo, and the boy slumped to the stone floor, blacked out, hand still clutching his scar.

Later he was awakened by someone shaking his shoulders and crying his name.

"Harry, Harry, Harry…" the voice echoed through his head. He shook his head weakly.

"Harry, Harry, Harry…" it continued, and finally he blinked open his eyes. Neville wavered before his vision.

"What happened?" the frightened boy continued shaking him.

"Stop," Harry murmured. "I'm fine now…" He got up. "What time is it?"

"Just about half an hour after you left the Great Hall. I was in the middle of class when I realized I forgot my book. That's when I was on my way up to the tower, and I found you here." Neville helped him up.

Harry brushed himself off. "Oh shoot, I'm late for Potions. I guess Hermione and Ron think I went to talk to Dumbledore or something. Thanks for waking me up." He took a step unsteadily; his head felt dizzy.

"Don't you think you should go to the Hospital Wing, Harry?" Neville asked uncertainly. "You kinda look…bad. I mean, pale and stuff."

Harry grinned. "Thanks…I think I'll be ok."

With Neville still looking worriedly at him, Harry shakily got his stuff together. "See you later," he said, and started down to the dungeons.

Halfway to class, he wondered if he should go talk to Dumbledore.

"Well…he would already know by now…" he argued inside his head.

Just then the old headmaster rounded the corner. "Harry, my boy! I was just going to to get you from Potions. We have much to discuss."

Harry looked surprised. "Really? Well…I was just about to go up to your office."

"Perfect!" Without another word, the headmaster took Harry's arm and directed him upwards to his office.

As Harry entered the circular room, he saw the familiar black dog waiting for him.

"Sirius!" he took the dog in his arms, hugging it tightly. All the stress was finally getting to him. The dog licked him eagerly. When Harry let go, he transformed back into a man.

"How've you been doing?" He asked, face etched with concern.

Harry sank into a chair, exhausted. "Fine…just fine."

Dumbledore sat down at his desk. "What I want to know is how someone got a hold of that information and put it on today's Daily Prophet."

Harry shook his head. "I have no idea. I only told Ron and Hermione. They would never tell anyone!"

They looked at Sirius. "I have never said a word about it," he said, outraged that they would think of him. "Who would I tell it to, anyways? I'm a convict, remember."

"Never mind about that," Dumbledore said seriously. "Our main concern right now is what to do now. The Ministry won't just rest, now that they know they have a way to get rid of Voldemort."

"You think they'll try to hurt Harry?" Sirius growled. "But they can't get in the school! You won't let them!"

Harry remembered how Hogwarts was the safest place in the Wizarding World.

"There are other ways," Dumbledore said. "Some people are desperate, Sirius. I imagine some parents who work at the Ministry might even try to get their kids here to help them."

Sirius looked furious. "Then expell all of those kids!"

Dumbledore sighed. "We can't just do that. The best we can do right now is to think of some safey guidelines for Harry here to follow. Do you agree?"

Harry nodded. What else could he do?

"First. Never drink or eat anything unless it is directly from Sirius or me. That will rule out poison. Never be alone in the hallways. I imagine your friends will be only too happy to accompany you at all times."

"What about at night?" Sirius asked. "Someone could stab him at night!"

Harry winced. "Thanks, Sirius."

"Sorry Harry-" his godfather looked at him apologetically. "How about this? I can stay with him at all times, and sleep by his bed! My sense of hearing is quite acute actually-"

"But- people will find out about you!"

"No one knows I'm an Animagus. I can just be Harry's pet dog," Sirius said quickly.

"I thought dogs weren't allowed at Hogwarts," Harry wondered. "I thought it was only rats, owls, cats, and toads."

"Professor Dumbledore can make an exception, right?" Sirius pleaded.

"It would be quite dangerous, Sirius," Dumbledore said. He sighed again. "But I cannot deny your right to protect your godson. Just think about the risks, and think carefully."

"I've already thought about it enough," Sirius declared. "I wouldn't be able to live with myself if something happened to Harry."

"But- Professor!" Harry asked. "Won't people be mad- that you're protecting me? I mean, they all want Voldemort killed! And what about all the muggles and muggle-borns that will be killed? What am I supposed to do?"

Dumbledore looked at him kindly. "Don't worry, Harry. I could care less about what the Ministry thought of me. They never had much favor for me, anyways. As for the other problems, we are working as hard as possible to find a way out of this. So far we have only thought of that one idea, which we all seem not too fond of. All people have been warned of the dangers."

Harry still didn't look too sure. Sirius put a comforting hand on his shoulder. "We'll get through this. And remember, it's NOT YOUR FAULT."

Dumbledore nodded agreeingly, and Harry smiled weakly.

"Yeah, right," he whispered under his breath.

AN: Come on people, review. I have a total of two reviewers right now, who bothare my close friends. If you guys reading this right now don't think it is worth the time to review, I don't think it is worth my time to write this. I really will stop, as I am losing motivation. I know people are reading this...I can check on my stats page! Please...how long does it take?


	9. Chapter 9

Disclaimer: I don't own these characters.

AN: This chapter is dedicated to Jessi, Becki, GryffindorRulez, and HarrySirius Fan! YAY, my reviewers! I love you!

As Harry walked through the hallways, people still stared. And now it wasn't just because of the newspaper article, but also because of the large black dog trotting at his side.

Harry looked at his temporary shadow. It was nice to have Sirius around, but this was just too much.

Some first year girls ran up to him and his dog, and Sirius emitted a low growl.

"It's ok," Harry whispered. "They're just curious."

"He's so cute!" A tiny girl held Sirius in a strangle-hold. "What's his name?"

"Uh…Snuffles," Harry winked at the dog, who glared back at him.

"Awwww…" the girl and her friends crowded around the poor animal, petting and smothering him with kisses. "So adorable…"

"Stop crowding the hallways, please," Professor McGonagall came to the rescue. She shooed the students off. "Get to your classes!"

Snuffles followed after Harry, ruffling his fur indignantly.

There seemed to be a huge commotion in the Great Hall. A crowd had gathered around the Gryffindor table.

Harry shot Sirius a look, and then ran to see what had happened.

Parvati Patil was holding a letter shakily in her heads, an expression of utter disbelief on her face.A small sobbed escaped her, and her sister Padma was running towards her. They held each other tightly, crying and whimpering.

The group around them were murmuring sympathetically, and whispering quietly.

"What happened? What happened?" Harry pushed into the crowd. "Is everyone all right?" Sirius followed him, tail wagging anxiously.

A rough hand grabbed Harry and turned him around.

"What is it, Malfoy?" Harry spat, and Sirius growled at the Slytherin.

"Don't try to act like the hero, Potter," Malfoy drawled. "You know it's your fault."

"What is?" Harry asked, confused.

Malfoy chuckled. "Spare me the theatrics, Potter."

Angry now, Harry came nose to nose with his rival. "Tell me!"

Malfoy shrugged. "Well, if you insist…" he gestured toward the crying sisters. "Their parents died last night in an attack." He circled around Harry. "_Many_ people did, mostly mudbloods. Why must you cause all this pain, Potter? Are you turning sadistic? They whould really put you in Slytherin."

"I don't cause the pain! I don't want this!" Harry clenched his fists.

"Temper, Potter…temper," Malfoy smiled maliciously. "You could control this, you could end this…but you're just too cowardly. Why don't you just kill yourself-"

Malfoy was abruptly cut off as the large dog leaped upon him, snarling viciously, tearing his sweaters into shreds.

"Stop! Stop it!" Dumbledore marched into the scene. With strength that others would never guess he had, the headmaster yanked Sirius off the boy.

Malfoy got up, shaking angrily. "I'll have that dog killed! Wait until I tell my father!"

Harry pulled out his wand. "You-"

He felt arms restraining him. "Let me go!" he yelled. "He's going to get him killed-"

"Please stop creating a scene, Potter," the dangerously low voice said. Snape gripped Harry until he stopped fighting. Looking over, he saw that Dumbledore had Malfoy in a similar hold. The two boys glared at each other.

Dumbledore was forcefully leading Malfoy away. "Just do it, Potter," the boy whispered sadistically. "You know you want to…"

"Get off of me," Harry shook off the potions master.

Sirius whimpered, nudging the boy. Harry knew he wanted them to go somewhere alone so he could give him a talk. Well, he wasn't in the mood for a talk.

"Just leave me alone," Harry muttered, stalking away from his godfather, towards the grounds.

The dog followed him persistantly, growling warningly, and nudging him.

"Go away!" Harry yelled, running outside.

Sirius jumped onto his back, tackling him, and pinned him down.

"Please Sirius," Harry groaned. He wanted to be alone. The dog let him get up, but then grabbed onto his sleeve, pulling him towards the shelter of the trees.

Then, after glancing around to make sure nobody was out, he transformed back into a man. "Harry! Don't listen to that bloody Malfoy! You hear me?"

Harry refused to meet his gaze.

He grabbed his godson's chin and forced him to look up. "Do you hear me?"

Harry looked into the intense dark eyes. "Yes, I hear you," he said finally. "But what he said was true, and you know it!"

Sirius grabbed Harry into a hug. "Don't do it Harry, just don't…" Harry felt wetness on his shoulders and realized with shock that his godfather was crying. He patted him on his back awkwardly, not sure what to do.

"Dumbledore will figure it out! You've got to trust him! He'll make everything all right…" Sirius whispered. Harry knew he was trying to convince himself.

"It's ok, Sirius," Harry said. "You don't have to kid yourself. We both know hundreds of people are dying. In the time Dumbledore needs, hundreds more will die."

"But…" Sirius wiped his tears away with his ragged sleeve. "You mean more to me than any number of other people. I know I'm sounding selfish, but we need you, Harry…"

Harry sighed. "Think of all the people dying! They have relatives, families, friends…and each one of those people feel exactly the same way you do, Sirius. I have to do something!"

Sirius sat down, hands covering his face. "Why do you always have to be such a hero? Why do you always want to do the right thing?" He suddenly chuckled. "I guess I forgot for a second that you are James' son. Duh."

Harry bit his lip. "My father- he would want me to do this…"

"James and Lily," Sirius mused. "I am glad for once that they aren't alive. They don't have to experience this, like I do."

Harry took deep breaths. He could end all this pain, all this sorrow for everyone! People could be dying right this instance. He pictured Voldemort laughing…Malfoy sneering, _you're just too cowardly_…

"Here Sirius…" he placed his wand in his hand. Then Harry backed up, holding out his arms. "You do it."

Sirius looked at him disbelivingly. "What?"

"Malfoy's right. I am too cowardly. That's why you have to do it for me." He spread his arms out wider. "Just do it." He closed his eyes, waiting.

He heard a loud, strangled noise. Sirius was backing up, dropping the wand. "I won't," he declared firmly. "First of all, you're not going to die. Secondly," he voice dropped to a whisper. "You aren't cowardly. If in the end, you have to die…you'll do it honorably. You'll do it by yourself."

Harry knew he was right.

"I think we need another talk with Dumbledore, Harry," Sirius urged.

Harry snorted. "It's always Dumbledore isn't it? Dumbledore this, Dumbledore that! Sirius, Dumbledore doesn't know everything! He doesn't have all the answers!"

Sirius' mouth dropped open.

"Right now, I just need a little time by myself," Harry explained.

Sirius started to interrupt, but Harry cut him off. "Don't worry, I won't kill myself. Not now."

AN: Please review!


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